Summer Attractions

by Beth Bolden

  But then he smiled dopily at her, and he was still that unsure boy, looking for a partner in his first college class. She didn’t even remember walking over to him, but his arms were around her, strong and sure, and she nearly cried into the soft fabric of his polo shirt.

  It was an embarrassing display, but Jemma reminded herself as she pulled back to look at him, to really see him, that they were best friends. Everyone knew they were best friends.

  His blue eyes were missing the desperate shadows of only a few months before, and Jemma felt an inescapable wave of relief nearly bury her. He was okay. He didn’t hate her. He’d maybe even began to get over this.

  Over her.

  “It’s so good to see you,” he said softly.

  And it was so good to see him too, especially without that all-too-familiar nauseous roll of guilt.

  He let go of her and looked over her shoulder to where she knew Duncan and Nick were standing, by the reception desk. She wouldn’t normally be included in this greeting party, but Nick had dropped by her office yesterday and acted like it was a matter of course. Nothing out of the ordinary. And Jemma was grateful.

  “Colin O’Connor,” he said, reaching out with his hand, bestowing one of his firm handshakes on both Nick and Duncan. “It’s an honor to be here.”

  Nick laughed, scoffing and clearly very amused. More amused than Jemma could remember seeing him. “No, it’s really our honor. Honestly.”

  Colin laughed then, one of his genuine laughs that always sounded like someone surprised the sound out of him. “For me, not really,” he admitted as they walked through the Five Points office, Jemma very aware of the gazes that kept swiveling their direction. They saw their share of sports royalty pass through these offices, and actors and actresses too, but there was something about Colin. Something inescapably magnetic. There was a reason when he’d posed shirtless, his blue eyes boring right through you, he’d sold more copies of Sports Illustrated than even the swimsuit edition.

  “Still feels weird to you, huh?” Nick asked as they settled down on the chairs. Jemma hovered in the doorway, knowing she wasn’t part of this, but wanting to soak him up all the same. She loved Gabe, but Colin felt like home.

  Colin shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll ever feel not weird. I’m just me, not the rock star that everyone seems to think I am. I get nervous and sweaty and red and god, there was nothing more embarrassing than that stupid magazine cover.”

  The corner of Nick’s mouth quirked up. He’d taken his normal care with his appearance today, hair perfectly styled, a gray button-up that made his eyes somehow look turquoise, a perfectly pressed pair of narrow fit black slacks. He didn’t look quite like himself, but he looked better. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see the attraction,” Nick said.

  “Hey,” a voice said behind her, and Jemma nearly jumped out of her skin. She glanced behind and Gabe was standing there, a big smile on his face. “Nick invited me to lunch,” he said.

  Jemma rolled her eyes as they moved away from the doorway and the sound equipment. She took Gabe’s hand and tugged him toward her office.

  “Did you think I didn’t want to invite you?” she asked when she flopped into her chair, Gabe perching on the side of her desk.

  “I knew you did,” he said. “But I also knew you didn’t want to overstep your bounds. This is a professional thing, not a personal thing.”

  “And yet,” Jemma retorted, “here you are.”

  Gabe just shrugged. “Nick wanted to get it over with quick. Pull the bandaid. Keep your focus on what you needed to be doing.”

  It was true she was tense; that much had probably been very obvious.

  “And you’re okay with that,” she said.

  He leaned in, one hand cupping her cheek. It was big and warm, and all the jumpy bits inside of her calmed. It turned out that Gabe was home too. “I love you,” he said simply. “I’d do whatever I thought could help you. I knew how hard this day was going to be for you. If me being here helps, I’ll stay. If you think it makes it worse, I’ll leave. But Jemma, he’s your best friend. This was going to happen eventually. I want it to happen.”

  Jemma sat there, very still. Caught in the solemn sincerity of his gaze. “Stay,” she said.

  He kissed her, lips quick and gentle against hers.

  “Also,” he said casually when he leaned back, “I’m a big fan. Got my own copy of Sports Illustrated and everything.”

  “Colin, this is Gabe Rocha. He’s a big fan of yours.” Jemma performed the introduction and couldn’t help her little smirk.

  They shook hands, eyeing each other more seriously than was probably entirely necessary. “I hear you were with Jemma in Rio,” Colin said, because of course, they couldn’t work up to this. They had to do it right away.

  “I was,” Gabe confirmed, a very steady look in his eyes. If Colin had imagined that he was going to apologize for dating Jemma, he was very clearly not going to.

  Colin glanced from Jemma to Gabe and then back. “I hear you got her out of that nasty mob that happened after the gold medal soccer game,” he said.

  Gabe shrugged self-deprecatingly. “She doesn’t have a lot of self-preservation instincts,” he said, a complete lie. “I did what was necessary.”

  Colin smiled suddenly, a sun breaking over the clouds. “Then I’m a fan of yours. She’s my best friend.”

  Gabe shot him an assessing look, then smiled back. “Maybe we can be friends too.”

  And in that moment, Jemma knew it was going to be fine. More than fine.

  Gold medal-winning, even.

  STAY CONNECTED

  In early 2017, learn what happens to Colin O’Connor, the NFL quarterback who didn’t win Jemma’s heart. Will he stick with the familiar or take a chance on someone who could change his life?

  Stay tuned to find out, and join my mailing list to find out more about this release and other upcoming releases.

  UPCOMING RELEASES

  Early 2017: Untitled, featuring Colin O’Connor.

  August 2017: Taste on my Tongue, a m/m competitive cooking romance.

  2018: Luck be a Lady, the third book in the Portland Pioneers series, featuring Tabitha King and Cal Keller.

  The #hotrio2016 Collection

  Liked Summer Attractions? Check out some other fun, exciting, steamy romances that also set during the Rio Olympics!

  FOR THE WIN by Rochelle Allison & Angel Lawson

  Former All-Star collegiate goalie, Julian Anderson, has spent the last year off the grid, putting his life and health back together after losing nearly everything and everyone important in his life due to a series of bad decisions in college. But when he gets a call from the US Men’s Soccer team, asking him to play in the Olympic Games, he’s thrust back into the world he’s tried so hard to distance himself from.

  Julian doesn’t want back in the league, especially when the dubious details of the arrangement are revealed, but accepting could give him a chance to reform his tarnished image. And, if he plays by the rules, he may have a shot at winning not just a gold medal but the heart of his first love, star forward of the Women’s team, Melina Diaz.

  Focused and determined, Melina is skeptical that Julian can change his destructive ways. She plans to have little to do with her ex until the stress of the Games get to her and she finds herself falling back on the one person that knows her the best.

  This August, all eyes will be on Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics as the world’s elite athletes come together to compete in the most prestigious sporting event of their lifetime. The Games will bring the world together but may tear Julian and Melina even further apart.

  Amazon

  GOING FOR GOLD by L.V. Lewis

  Olympic pole-vaulter Gunnar Kingsley is competing in Rio, where he will finally meet Mia Orlán—his longtime online pen pal. He assumes Mia thinks he’s just an average guy, and hopes that her impoverished upbringing has prevented her from researching him.

  In the e
ight years they’ve been corresponding, Mia has developed feelings for her American friend she fears won’t be returned. If by some miracle they were, she’s even more afraid a physical relationship would leave only heartbreak in its wake.

  Meanwhile, Gunnar fears if she knows of his elite ranking, she’ll end up being just another girl who’ll treat him like a shallow jock. He wants more from her. Will Gunnar come clean when the torch is lit in Rio, or will Mia confront him first?

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  Acknowledgements

  When an author reaches the end of a book, they often realize that while the driving creative force might be theirs, the creation itself feels more like a group effort than a singular one.

  Thank you to my loyal family: Cory, Carol, Patrick, and Miranda. They listened to countless hours of whining, despair, hair-tearing-out, and occasionally, the elation of a book that was actually going where it was supposed to.

  Thank you to Tammie, who is the best work partner I could ask for and who named this book when I couldn’t think of a title, nevermind a great one.

  Thanks to Tami and to Jessica, for being fantastic creative partners and making me look and sound better than I am.

  Thank you to Liz, who is both a professional and personal lifesaver. She sat me down early this year and told me, “if you want to release this book in time, you’ve got to get to work.” She was right, and her pushing was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Some people need to be held accountable and apparently I’m one of them. Thanks for being the person I answer to.

  Thanks the most to Angel Lawson, who came to me last year and suggested that we should write books about the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was right; it was a really good idea.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband and their beloved cat. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.

  Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published three novels, The Lucky Charm and Getting Lucky, Summer Attractions, and a short story, Eye of the Storm.

  She has also signed with Ink & Smith Publishing, who plans to publish Taste on my Tongue, a competitive cooking m/m romance, in August 2017.

  CONNECT WITH BETH

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  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Beth Bolden

  Book Cover © 2016 T.M. Franklin